The Light That Burns
by julzaibatsu
Summary: "In that time, from the moment that I had seen Ike fail, I imagined myself by a lake, watching in its pools my life play out before my eyes."


She cried out in pain as the light burned across her skin, rushing past her like a thousand strikes of a whip lash on her skin. Whip lashes were a pain she'd felt on her back before, but these ones could not supress the will to scream from the pain. Light was anything but pure, something she her very self knew, for the very inscribing of her name on her body meant light itself. This was but another proof that light itself was just as cruel and tainted as darkness itself.

The impure light struck upon her started to fade and the vision of cold, amber eyes soon gave way. Seeing the cold face of the goddess who wished to embody her in cold stone forever, she let out the loudest of battle cries and struck the face of her with her blade. The goddess did not even cry out at the strike, but it was evidential that weakness was showing, for her breathing was laboured and her cold, harsh eyes had become dull.

As soon as she flipped back, she dropped to one knee, but used her sword as a leaver to keep her body from slopping in a heap on the cold ground completely. She looked around the room, anxiously trying to find the person she wanted to see and when she saw him, she cried out.

"Ike! Now's your chance! She has to be weak enough now! Strike her down!"

With the pink and white dragons Ena and Nasir rounding near him, the Hero of Blue Flames charged forth, Ragnell in hands. With a jump and a cry, she wishfully anticipated the moment this seemingly impossible fight would end…

The moment that did not come.

To the absolute distraught of her and everyone around her, the goddess had already anticipated the Hero's coming attack and Ragnell merely slid through her shield like butter. Just like her before him, Ashera fired back the same, searing burning light upon Ike, burning his skin and evoking a bloodcurdling cry. Joined with the cry were the many screams of his name from everyone around the room at varying times, the most prominent being those from his beloved sister, Titania and Soren.

When the light disappeared, the sight of the hero was grossly disheartening. He was on his last legs, barely with a will to get up to face another bout of blinding light again. She empathised with his pain, for she herself was still burning.

"Quickly girl! Heal him!" in the rare instances, she heard Soren yell out the order.

"I-I can't! My staff's been silenced!" Mist cried out in distraught, failing to spark up any kind of magic from it.

"You Micaiah! Do something!" Soren's face was intense with anger, but she could see the terror in his eyes, the violent tremors in his small body. Again, like with Ike, she could empathise, for she had been in his place only a month ago, face awash with tears she tried so hard not to show to her comrades around her.

"I can't either Soren!" Micaiah cried in despair, her staff reacting no differently to Mist.

"I-I can do it! I can heal him!" the all too familiar loved voice of Elincia cried out.

"Do it now damn you!"" Soren pounded the ground in frustration. Even more, she empathised with him, for he too, was helpless, his own staff in the same silenced condition.

"There's Lucia too Your Majesty! You need to heal her afterwards!" Geoffrey cried out.

"I-I know Geoffrey! Just give me time!"

Time. Oh, how time had laughed in her face in her life and it always laughed when it came to dealing with death. _Tick tock, tick tock_, it would jeer in her ear, exposing her vulnerability and making her shake to the core of her heart from anxiety.

It did not hesitate to laugh once again. For there was the goddess, beginning to charge another all range attack in her hands, ready to slam the hopes of everyone fighting her in this tower once more.

"Hurry up! She's charging an all range again! He won't survive!" Soren snapped.

"But so will Lucia, Your Majesty!" Geoffrey cried.

Beside her, the staff shook madly in Elincia's hands, her eyes darting between two of the most treasured people in her life that she loved so dear. If she saved Lucia, Ike would die and all hope of defeating the goddess would die with him. If she saved Ike, Lucia would die and for real. There was no hero to dash in to save her from death's door this time.

Dammit girl! Hurry up and heal him! I will kill you if you don't save him! I swear!" Soren hollered, his eyes wide with insanity.

"I will kill you before you try to kill her, Soren!" Geoffrey raged, his eyes sharp and glaring at the young mage, who returned the insane glare.

But ultimately, they knew who had to be saved. Elincia knew. She knew. To her left, the Queen of Crimea hung her head low, tears dripping down with the sweat from her forehead. To her right, the Hero of Blue Flames looked at her with the utmost sorrow, the guilt twisted in his heart. He had failed to land the final blow like she had asked and because of that, she was going to die for it. It was all his fault. Just as he had saved her, Ike had now condemned her to death. He found himself where Elincia once stood four months ago, wrecked with guilt having condemned her lady knight to her death.

But just like she had back then on those gallows, she smiled. She smiled at then her unwavering selflessness, her merciful forgiveness. A forgiveness she knew they felt they didn't deserve, but truly did. For she knew just like back then, neither asked for her to die for them. But no matter how many times she had wound up like this for their agendas, she would always forgive them. For she loved them both; one like a sister and one like a brother. For real this time, she would lay her life down for her countrymen and her queen.

"Lucia…I-"

"Don't say it…" she shushed her queen, smiling, "We've been through this before. You know how I feel. You know where I stand. I've said it before. Not anything can ever break my bond with you or my love for you. Just go…"

Without another moment's hesitation, she flew her Pegasus over and raised her Recover staff high at Ike. Embodied in yellow, Ike did not take notice of his searing pain being healed, but only stared at her in sorrow.

"I saved your life…and now I've condemning it. I'm sorry, Lucia. I have failed both you and Elincia as Crimea's hero." the hero bowed his head in remorse.

"No, Ike. You've never failed that. Just promise me…you'll watch over her, my brother and Crimea for me. For I can do so no longer." she simply replied, closing her eyes.

"I will."

The sound of the goddess's attack being fully charged reached her ears. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Elincia. She was the last thing she wanted to see before the darkness. Just as it had been back then, a thousand words and feelings were exchanged between them before one would soon be consumed by death…

_In that time, from the moment that I had seen Ike fail, I imagined myself by a lake, watching in its pools my life play out before my eyes. Also in my thoughts, was Bastian, who's heart I had now crushed for a final time. It was the one other thing that I felt remorse for, for it had only been now that I'd truly realised how much he loved me and realised he really did not wish to waste my time for himself. _

_It was enough to threaten my tears to cry and it was that notion that made me realise I actually loved him too. Something that he would now never know. All these running thoughts only ended when I looked at Elincia, to have my final conversation with her, one that I ended by mouthing the words 'I love you'. before a wave of shock was sent through me and my body turned cold and numb…_


End file.
